Game apparatus.



A. E. SOBOLEWSKI.

GAME APPARATUS.

, APPLICATION FILED M33122, 1911.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

I wmom WMZQ W AMANDA E. SOBOLEWSKI, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented. Feb. 18,1913.

Application filed April 22, 1911. Serial No. 622,692.

apparatus wherein the playing pieces are propelled across the board, and require a certain amount of skill on the part of the player to send the pieces to a desired location.

In carrying out my invention I provide a box to contain the pieces used in the game,

the cover of this box being arranged to form a pond which the playing pieces or frogs of my game can be directed into; this cover being set upon a board which will be described more in detail in a later part of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 represents a playing board with the pieces in playing position; Fig. 2 is a detail of the bator flipper for propelling the frog pieces; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the closed boa-rd and box, and Fig. 4 is a detail of a frog or playing piece.

In the appended drawings which illustrate by way of example my invention, 1 represents a playing board which is suitably marked with a number of cross lines 2, said cross lines extending yertically and horizontally across the board. At the end of the board I provide a space for a base line 3 or starting place for the playing pieces. In the center portion of the board a pond 4 is placed to receive the playing pieces, and is preferably the inverted cover of the box 5, which holds the movable pieces of this game. The playing pieces 6 are preferably disk-shaped and made convex on both sides and each has a hole 7 directly through the center portion thereof. In order to propel these pieces 6, a bat 8 is provided which is preferably of the form shown in the drawings, that is, to consist of the relatively widened portion at the lower end and converging and narrowing to the handle so as to form a shape similar to that of a lacrosse hat. I prefer to shape my bat out of a flat piece of material having the end portions bent with their fiat surfaces together and wrapped with a piece of material or mounted with a handle 9 of any suitable material, the lowerend of this bat forming an'edge by which the frogs 6 can be lifted up and thrown toward the pond on the board.

I. preferpin general to surmount my board with pieces 10 to reinforce the corners, and to have said board closable so as to make it more portable.

In order to illustrate how this game is played and the general operation of the apparatus thereof. the following example is given: Six pegs or frogs 6 are given to each side, assuming the game is for two people. The pegs 6 are placed on the base lines 8 of the board and arranged horizontally thereon. The pond 5 is placed in the middle of the board and then the game is started. The player takes his flipper or bat 8 in his right hand and places the lower edge under an edge of the frogs6 to be played, and with a lifting, swinging motion tries to send it home to the pond. If the peg should land in the pond, the person has another trial and endeavors to place another peg in the pond. Should a peg not reach the pond, but fall into one of the squares, it is left there and the second person plays. Should the peg fall on a line 2 it disqualifies the player and he should return that peg to his base line and permit the second person to proceed, and so on, until the game is played, the one getting all the frogs into the pond first scores one point, and five points wins the game. Obviously this is only one system by which the game can be played, as the rules may be changed to suit many different conditions.

The particular feature of the bat is that it can be used to give a variety of motions to the pegs 6; its edge can be used far up to the handle and produce many results which are not possible in an ordinary type of flipper. The length of the bat makes it somewhat harder for the player to win a game and, in that way, makes it of more interest to the players, and demands more skill.

Referring to the pegs or frogs 6 in particular, the hole 7 therein is provided to also assist in giving an erratic motion to the peg, and make the game somewhat harder, and a great deal more interesting. Each of the playing pieces6 is formed in its edge with a groove 6 extending therearound which will enable a variety of strokes or movements to be given the pieces, owing to the fact that the loop 8 of the bat or flipping device is of relatively thin flat material, so that the edge thereof may be engaged in this groove to impart a tumbling movement to the pieces. In other words, by having the pieces of double convex shape, as shown, With the groove 6" formed therein, the player may either attempt to throw the piece bodily into the pond 4 by slipping the fiat loop 8 underneath the lower surface of the playing piece or may attempt to flip the playing piece into the pond by having the edge of the loop engaged in the groove 6. When the game is finished all the apparatus, that is the pegs and bats, are disposed within the box 5 and conveniently held therein. The board being closable, the whole arrangement provides a very compact and convenient game apparatus. It is desirable and almost essential that the pegs of the different sides be given different colors in order to provide means of easily distinguishing one side from another.

Obviously while I have shown my board arranged for only two players, I do not wish to be limited. to the exact construction of the parts shown except that necessitated by the prior art, as several modifications of my apparatus can be made without departing from the principles thereof.

The important advantages of my game apparatus are that it is compact, portable,

can be cheaply manufactured, and that there are a lack of unnecessaryparts, the only portion not being used in the game proper being the bottom portion of the box 5, and even that can be used to act as a register for the number of points by dropping slips of paper therein or the like, to keep tab on the games.

It is of course understood that any suitable means can be used to fasten the box 5 in position, while the game is being played, because it happens that in playing the game that the cover is apt to be shifted when the I Jews are shot into it. I Jrefer to use a small catch fastened to the upper portion of the, cover, which will fit into a suitable groove in the board, but I do not Wish to be limited to this particular style or in any other Way because there are so many ways of securing this desirable feature.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

A game apparatus of the class described comprising a board, a receptacle adapted to be mounted thereon, a plurality of playing pieces of double convex shape, said pieces being formed with a groove extending circumferentially thereof and with an opening extending centrally therethrough, and a bat formed of a strip of thin material and bent to form a loop of larger diameter than the playing pieces, the terminal ends of said loop converging together to form a handle substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AMANDA E. SOBOLEIVSKI.

\Vitnesses DANA L. FLAREN, J. A. SOBOLEWSKI.

Gopies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

